afghanistan, the turmoil in the middle east and the looming budget cuts that could severely impact the pentagon. instead, hagel was criticized for his past statements on iran, israel and the u.s. nuclear strategy. harris? >> harris: well, steve, after what you could call a rather bumpy confirmation hearing to say the least, what are hagel's chances at this point? >> well, as it stands, at least 12 republicans do plan to vote against hagel. his confirmation, even though is he a republican himself. only two have said they would vote for him at this point. and they are mike joehand of nebraska anded that cochran of mississippi. many are predicting hagel will be confirmed. >> i think for a cabinet office, 51 votes is generally considered the right standard for the senate to set and at that level, i think he makes it but i don't think he makes it with a lot of room to spare. >> senator blunt is among those planning to vote against hagel citing too many inconsistencies, harris? >> harris: you know, stif with that margin that he mentioned the 51 votes you wouldn't need very many republicans to vote in